Priyanka Chopra and Sidharth Malhotra looked beautiful together in the Nirav Modi jewellery ad campaign last year. Their maiden chemistry for a brand endorsement was lauded by their fans. Now as Nirav Modi's name emerges on top in the Rs 11,000 crore fraud in Punjab National Bank, the stars have begun disassociating their names with the brand.

Priyanka Chopra and Sidharth Malhotra looked beautiful together in the Nirav Modi jewellery ad campaign last year. Their maiden chemistry for a brand endorsement was lauded by their fans. Now as Nirav Modi's name emerges on top in the Rs 11,000 crore fraud in Punjab National Bank, the stars have begun disassociating their names with the brand.

The Quantico star has accused Nirav Modi of not paying her dues for her famous diamond ad campaign with Sidharth and has sued him for non-payment. The actress was appointed by Modi as the global brand ambassador of his jewelleries back in January 2017.

"My association with Nirav Modi is like a meeting of minds in many ways. We are both fiercely proud of our heritage and are united by the idea of bringing a modern India to the global forefront. His jewels are one of a kind and effortless, with an understated elegance," the actress had said in a statement at the time of this campaign.

Earlier a Mid-Day report stated that Sidharth Malhotra too wants to end his association with the brand. Sources close to the Mumbai tabloid suggested that the Aiyaary actor may not work with the brand until the charges against them are proved wrong. According to the contract, Sidharth was to shoot three commercials with the brand. So far the Gentleman actor has only shot one, which also featured Priyanka Chopra.

Modi, who was ranked 57 in the Forbes list of billionaires in 2017, is the founder and creative director of the Nirav Modi chain of diamond jewelry retail stores. The man who owns a billion dollar enterprise had a hereditary access to the empire. His father was a diamond jeweler who migrated to Antwerp, Belgium. Modi too was based in Antwerp until he returned to Mumbai to learn the trade from maternal uncle Mehul Choksi, who has also faced allegations of fraud.

Several tinsel townies have been associated with this brand in the past years. Nirav’s creations have been quite popular across both Bollywood and Hollywood. Lisa Haydon and Nimrat Kaur not only launched Nirav Modi's store in New York City but also featured in their print ads. Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor, Chitrangada Singh and Shilpa Shetty have sported his diamond jewellery in the recent past. Besides, Hollywood actresses like Karlie Kloss, Kate Upton, Stella Maxwell and Olivia Munn also opted for his creations at many prestigious award shows.

Recently, the Enforcement Directorate conducted multiple searches in relation to Rs 280 crore money laundering case against the billionaire luxury diamond jewelry designer Nirav Modi and others following a complaint by the Punjab National Bank. The ED had filed a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.Read More